On Campus 4/23/13

Junior Keeley Wood (SLHS) found herself in a familiar place upon finishing the 5000-meter run in Saturday’s Southeast Regional Championship at Lenoir-Rhyne College, as she finished in first place — the same as the previous year year.

Wood turned in a time of 18:40.29 to win the race, finishing nearly 53 seconds in front of the next closest runner and besting her winning time of last year by nearly 45 seconds. Her first-place finish helped Wingate defend its Southeast Championship with a final team score of 276. The Lady Bulldogs finished 144 points in front of second-place Anderson College.

Fishing

Stanton McDuffie (LCHS) and the N.C. State BassPack team traveled to Paris, Tenn., over the weekend to compete in the Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Series on Kentucky Lake. Bethel University’s A & B team would take the top honors as they finished first and second weighing in with catches of 52.78 pounds and 51.33 pounds. N.C. State’s first team finished fifth, catching its limit of 12 fish weighing in at 44.99 pounds. McDuffie and his partner came in 20th, catching their limit of 12 fish and registering 33.20 pounds on the scale. Fifty-four collegiate teams participated in the tournament. The BassPack will now set their sights on their biggest tournament of the season, as they will defend their national championship at the seventh annual Boat US Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala., May 22-24.

Baseball

Nick Durazo (0-4) (LCHS) and East Carolina (20-20, 6-6) went 3-1 this week, losing to UNC Wilmington 7-2, then sweeping UAB in a three-game series, 5-4, 4-1 and 9-5. Durazo suffered his fourth loss of the season, pitching three innings against UNC Wilmington, facing 15 batters and giving up three earned runs on five hits and three walks. The Pirates will have a four-game homestand this week hosting Elon today and Memphis this weekend in a three-game series.

Dillon Frye (LCHS) and 15th-ranked N.C. State (32-10, 14-7) continued their winning ways as the Pack went 4-0 last week, extending their streak to 14 games. State slipped past UNCC 2-1, then swept Georgia Tech, 13-4, 6-2 and 8-7. The Wolfpack will have a four-game homestand this week, hosting Davidson today and then welcoming in-state rival UNC for a three-game series this weekend.

Justin Cox (SLHS) and Ferrum College (12-22, 6-18) closed out their 2013 season in a disappointing fashion, losing to Emory and Henry College 5-4, and then having their final game of the season against Lynchburg canceled. Cox went 0-5 against Emory & Henry while accounting for two outs from his centerfield position. Cox finishes the season leading the Panthers in several team categories while ranking in the top five in several others. He led the team in stolen bases with seven, walks with 19, plate appearances with 163 and games played with 34, while tying for first with four other teammates in triples with one. He also finished second with most at bats at 137, third on the team in runs scored with 21, fourth in hits with 35 and total bases with 42.

Josh Kelly (LCHS) and the Appalachian State club team went 1-2 this past weekend against Kentucky. Kelly started on the mound for the Mountaineers in game one, pitching five innings, giving up three hits, one walk and one earned run while striking out six in the 2-0 loss. In game two, Kelly moved to second base and finished 1-4 from the plate with an RBI in the Mountaineers' second loss to the Wildcats, 4-3. ASU would witness an offensive explosion in game three as the Mountaineers would win 22-8. Kelly played shortstop and finished 3-4 from the plate, scoring three RBI and blasting a two-run home run.

Russell Clark (LCHS) and Campbell University (35-8, 14-4) finished the week 4-1, losing 5-1 to N.C. A&T, and then rattling off four wins in a row by defeating Appalachian State 11-6, and then sweeping VMI in three games 2-1, 4-3 and 8-1. The Fighting Camels will be in action five times this week, hosting N.C. Central today and UNC Greensboro on Wednesday before traveling to High Point for a three-game weekend series.

Carson Wilson (LCHS) and Pitt CC (21-16, 8-14) split a four-game series with USC-Salkehatchie, winning the first contest 3-2, then dropping games two and three, 1-0 and 4-3, before winning the final game, 5-1. The Bulldogs will close out their regular season today facing Lenoir CC before preparing for the Region X Tournament that starts on May 5.

Softball

Bkaye Smith (SLHS) and Virginia Tech (27-10, 6-5) fell into a slump last week by losing all five of their games. The Lady Hokies started the week dropping a doubleheader to Longwood, 6-5 and 5-4, and were then swept by 23rd-ranked Florida State, 4-2, 11-0 and 4-3. Smith finished the Longwood doubleheader going 2-7 from the plate, scoring one run and batting in one RBI while making four outs and six assists defensively from shortstop. Versus the Seminoles, Smith finished 0-8 batting while accounting for four outs and five assists in the field. Tech will travel to Radford today for a two-game series and then play a three-game series with instate rival Virginia on Sunday and Monday in Charlottesville.

Katie Chapman (LCHS) and Guilford (19-19, 5-15) finished their 2013 season by going 1-5 last week. The Quakers were swept in doubleheaders against Randolph 3-0 and 9-8, and Shenandoah 5-1 and 9-8, and then split their doubleheader against Bridgewater, losing the first game 4-3 — but then winning their final game of the season 4-1.Chapman saw action in the final game against Bridgewater, going 0-1 from the plate.

Golf

Micah Lawrence (LCHS) and 15th-ranked Barton College are looking good after the first day of competition in the Conference of Carolina’s Championship at the Challenge Golf Course in Graham as the Bulldogs are currently sitting in first place. Lawrence tied for 22nd by carding a 39-37-76 to help the Bulldogs finish with a team score 289, besting Belmont Abbey by one stroke. The final round finished yesterday. Barton will next set its sights on the NCAA Division II South/Southeast Regional to be held at the Mission Inn Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

Football

Andrew Stryffeler (LCHS) and the defense won the 2013 Florida Atlantic spring game, 32-31, at the school’s annual Spring Fest in Boca Raton, Fla. The game kicked off at 2 p.m. with a format that pitted the offense against the defense, not only on the field but in also in bonus competitions. The offense was awarded points in the traditional manner, but also received extra points for long plays. The defense received points by stopping the offense, turnovers and scores. Bonus points were awarded for the winners of the offensive linemen versus the defensive linemen in punt catching, the wide receivers and defensive backs in tug-of-war, and finally the running backs faced off with the linebackers in a field goal kicking competition. Stryffeler, playing defensive end, helped the defense rack up nine quarterback sacks on the day. The Owls will open their season against Miami on Aug. 30.

Ashton Gaines (SLHS), Ulyess Upchurch (LCHS) and UNC Pembroke saw the Black team rout the Gold team, 41-0, in their spring game on Saturday. Upchurch played strong safety and registered six tackles and one pass breakup in the end zone. Gaines saw action at slo,t but did not register any catches. The Braves will open their season against Winston-Salem State on Sept. 5.